Relentless rain, low temperatures and mediocre milk prices made spring 2024 a difficult one for farmers
One farmer who’s life was made easier with the help of a KEENAN feeder this year, is Damien Moore from Co. Kildare. He is a new entrant to dairy, having converted from beef in 2016.
Milking 95 Freisian cows on a spring calving system, Damien was keen to highlight the importance of having a reliable feeding system as weather patterns change.
In 2023, after consulting with InTouch nutritionist, Emma Swan, Damien decided to invest in a MechFibre320+ feeder to help manage feed stocks and get the most out of what he was feeding.
Damien was drawn to the ease of use and lower HP requirement of a KEENAN compared to a tub feeder.
He said: “The mix from a KEENAN is far more consistent than any other feeder I have seen, and it was key for me to be able to empty the feeder completely before preparing a new mix for a different group, such as dry cows.”
Damien noted that his herd performance was maintained during a difficult spring, which he attributed to the quality of the mix.
The dry cow mix, including silage, straw, soya and Alltech minerals, has been a game-changer for Damien in terms of getting cows right before calving.
The past two spring calving seasons have gone very well, with cows calving down in excellent condition, with minimal veterinary intervention.
Damien also noted that his cows had lots of good quality colostrum, which gave calves a great start to life.
Silage stocks
The KEENAN feeder also paid huge dividends by reducing silage costs, whereby incorporating 1kg of straw in the dry cow diet saved 5kg of silage.
Without the KEENAN this spring, Damien feels that he would have been completely out of silage before cows went out to grass.
He praised the flexibility of KEENAN: “Meeting our cows needs allowed us to stretch our silage stocks for an additional six weeks.”
When introducing diet feeding to a farm, a certain amount of adaption is needed. Damien emphasised the support he has received from the KEENAN and Alltech team since he started diet feeding.
He said: “Emma is always on the ball when it comes to managing diets depending on the weather and the stage of production, which has taken the stress away from [us] wondering if we are feeding the right diet or not.”
Damien also operates a dairy calf-to-beef system, finishing approximately 80 cattle. He is well versed in finishing beef and dairy-beef stock, and was blown away by the impact the KEENAN feeder had by finishing stock one month earlier than in previous years.
With a consistent mix of silage, concentrates and some straw / minerals, cattle are turning out better than ever.
Emma made up a set of diets for the finisher programme. Cattle were gradually adjusted to a full finisher diet, minimising any issues that can come with changing diets quickly for animals.
“All cattle love consistency in the diet. When diets change too quickly for any reason, be it running out of silage, or moving to a higher protein diet for finishing – it can lead to digestibility issues for a few weeks as the animals adjust.
“With the KEENAN InTouch system, we send Damien new diets whenever needed to make the transition as easy as possible for the animals,” Emma said.
Damien’s expansion plans have been limited because of the nitrates derogation. So, instead of keeping more cattle or trying to lease extra land, Damien is focusing on getting the most out of current numbers on farm.
“We are future proofing our farm against any weather or pricing uncertainty by reducing feed costs, finishing cattle earlier and improving milk production and the health of our dairy cows,” he added.
If you are interested in achieving similar results on your farm, come along to the KEENAN Summer Sale & Open Day on June 13 from 10:00a.m to 5:00p.m at the KEENAN factory in Borris, Co. Carlow.
As well as having an opportunity for one-on-one nutrition advice from the AllTech InTouch team, a full range of new and second-hand machines will be on view.
The KEENAN and Alltech teams are always readily available to answer any questions and discuss how their products and services can be used on your farm.
Call +353 59 977 1200 to speak to a KEENAN representative today or call +353 59 910 1320 to speak to an Alltech/InTouch team member.
